Reviews Bible Versions

(WARNING this is a long read all on one website so hopefully it will answer some questions on just what is the best or most accurate Bible to read that I have found doing research!

[THESE ARE OPINIONS I FOUND ONLINE]

The primary differences lies in the translation methodology.

The NLT prior to 2007 was a strict paraphrase and thus not trustworthy. Conversely, the NKJV is a word for word translation as opposed to a thought for thought translation like the NIV.

The NKJV was translated much like the KJV but replaced archaic words with those that are contemporary and thus easier to comprehend. In short, the match between the original languages of Hebrew and Greek and the English translation is as accurate as it can possibly be.

On the other hand, the NLT carefully avoids the use of male-oriented language in its translation. In other words, it is a politically correct version.

No version of the bible ever caused me to sin

I am of the camp and always will be that as long as the meaning has not been changed, there is nothing wrong with reading a different version.

That being said, the NLT is a written yet simplified version of the Bible. It puts things in a simpler form and gives a different perspective/wording on the intent.

Personally, I think it is an individuals choice and it is unproductive to squabble over the proper version if it detracts from reading the Bible. Obviously a version cant have doctrinal changes in it like the New World Translation does if it strips Jesus of His deity so it is heresy.

It often helps to read a parallel Bible. It allows you to immediately compare versions. If you are looking for a good online Bible, I have found Bible Gateway to be the best. It is free and has many different versions available. (I would also add the Bible Hub for more then at Bible Hub go to the bottom of page and click on Additional Translations and then more on Blue Letter Bible and Bible Study Tools are others to use the verse is there in many forms and if your looking.)

There are several excellent English translations, each of which has its own qualities and art. KJV remains an astounding masterpiece, and can still be taken seriously, detractors aside. NKJV, for an updated more readable text. RSV, of course, and the ESV and NRSV. The NIV is beloved by many, clearly. There are others as well, perhaps the NAB or NASB if you want to get really literal why not a reading program the includes two or three different ones? KJV - ESV - NIV combo or something like that? RSV - NJKV - ESV - NIV - KJV - NRSV Maybe even CSB, which is an overlooked refreshing modern trans. All of the ones mentioned above are the work of exceptional, serious scholars. Reading several offers a variety of insights as the art of the translators puts things in various wordings.

NASB is the most unbiased translation I know and it is super-faithful to the original texts. It might be a little stiff on the downside and I would recommend an NIV or an NLT for people who are young in faith.
However, if you are a serious student of the word, I suggest the NASB. NKJV is the staple food for many in the word-of-faith camp. Please note that the NKJV does not make use of the eclectic texts but uses the TR just like KJV.


Accurate is a difficult thing to pinpoint. In terms of most word for word faithfulness to the best manuscripts available, I think NASB clearly wins out. Beyond that, ESV (which is based off RSV) in terms of being most understandable by modern readers. I value KJV for the beauty of its language, but it lacks a lot in terms of accuracy due to many better copies of early manuscripts having been discovered since its conception, as well as its reliance (to varying degrees, depending on which version of KJV a person uses) on many English words and phrases which have dramatically different meanings to the modern reader than they would have to its intended audience.

Is the King James Version the best translation of the Bible? Some people use the NIV but I hear that it is not the best.

The KJV was a great work of its time and many still consider it a reliable and beautiful translation, but today we have access to other manuscripts, and the English language has changed a lot in the more than 400 years since the KJV was published, so it is true it is no longer considered the best by some.

There probably is no such thing as a single best translation, since that will depend more on how you use it than on the text itself, but here are some good modern English language translations.

(How can you determine if a Bible is true or not? There are many different versions of the Bible (KJV, NIV, etc.) so how do you know which one is right?

The assumption that you are making is that by Bible Version we mean that a new version contradicts the other versions because of bias, or intentional mis-translation.

That meaning of version is NOT how we are using the word version.

A Bible Version is a new translation that helps us to better understand the Bible. Languages change over time. Some words become obsolete and new and more descriptive words come into existence. Bible translators find the need to revise an older translation or make a new one. That is what we mean by Version.

All translations are based on the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. That is a given. That is the basis of ALL versions. If anyone diverted from that foundation, their version would not be considered genuine and would never be accepted. That would be a very foolish thing to do.


All major translations, or versions, are examined by linguists, professors, and theologians, and its validity is commented upon before the new version is offered to the public.

A Christian advised me if I am going to read the Bible make sure I read the KJV, as it is based on the earliest of manuscripts and closest to the original Greek and Hebrew. Is this correct? No.

At the time, it was based on something like state-of-the-art knowledge of manuscripts and translation. But that was the early 1600s. We are four centuries beyond that now, and our understanding of both the original texts and the subtleties of meaning in them have moved on since then. Moreover, there is not a definite spin in the translation of the KJV (for example, privileging kings in certain contexts), and there are even a number of straight-up errors well known in Biblical circles.

That said, the KJV is certainly a good translation, but there is no such thing as a perfect translation. You can read pretty much any well regarded translation of the Bible for a good understanding of the text, but if you really want to get deeply into it, no one translation is going to do the job. You will need to dig into the scholarly work and textual criticism, illuminating subtleties of meaning and controversies around the translations.

John 3: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. KJV

It is rather important to keep track of what the words mean. "Only begotten son" is not the same as "one and only son" because God has lots of sons but only one was begotten. And "everlasting life" is not "eternal life". Look those words up in the dictionary to see the difference.

A translation is when you replace each word in the original language with an exact equivalent in the target language. It is possible to translate between Greek and Hebrew, but not English. English requires capital letters at the start of each sentence and other places, and punctuation in certain places. Any such change is someone's opinion, and that changes a translation to a version. For instance every time the text says "pneuma hagion", the interpreter must decide if that means God, so it has to be capitalized, or God's gift to believers, which is not capitalized. That is why all English bibles are called versions.


The NIV is not a horrible translation. It is an translation that combines readability with word-for-word literalness. The KJV is very accurate but not very readable. The Message is very readable but is a thought-for-thought translation, not a word-for-word one. The NIV is right in the middle of these with it being very readable and accurate.) All is said and done, the answer to your question is NASB.

(So with that there it is from other opinions on just what is the right Bible to read. I have said this before and I will state it again
PLEASE JUST READ IT
READING YOUR BIBLE DAILY IS FUNDAMENTAL.)

(Also if your really into reading you might try the Geneva Bible 1599 (GNV) (on a side note Billy Graham actually used three Bibles depending on the circumstances: he used the KJV in his preaching, the NIV in his writings, and The Living Bible in his personal devotions.)

So what Bible version you choose is up to you that's free will, so enjoy your reading and stay in the word.

Here are 3 more links to some readings, there is so much more out there but you have free will so it is your choice what to read but do your research and who to follow also.

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/bible-versions-and-translations/best_bible_translation/

https://www.rethinknow.org/best-bible-translations/

https://www.quora.com/Which-is-the-best-Bible-version-and-why

 Problematic Bibles

Most Accurate Bible Translation

Have A Blessed Life!